Page 1 of 8 Describing the Present: Verbs in the Present Tense First Step (Première étape) Dans 12 pays européens, on change le système monétaire au système euro. Les français parlent euro mais ils ne pensent pas euro. La vie quotidienne continue comme avant le changement. On dort et on mange. Les adultes lisent chaque jour le journal et les enfants vont à l'école. Les commerçants veulent aider les français, donc ils affichent les prix en francs et en euro mais vendent tout en euro. Le gouvernement fait beaucoup de publicité. Certaines personnes apprennent vite mais pour d'autres le changement est difficile. On finit par accepter l'euro! Et vous, comprenez-vous la situatio n? Connaissez-vous des gens qui achètent des choses en Europe et qui paient en euros? Avez-vous des pièces ou des billets en euro? Write the infinitive (un-conjugated form of the verb) under the right group based on the last two letters of the infinitive. If you are not sure how to spell the infinitive, check in the French section of your dictionary. Circle the regular verbs the ones that are conjugated according to a regular pattern. er verbs like étudier ir verbs like obéir re verbs like descendre 1. changer 2. 3. Based on the words you circled, which group has the most regular verbs? 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Page 2 of 8 Examples and Explanations (Exemples et explications) Regular Verbs Verbs that end in er are the most common in French. They are almost all regular except aller. Most verbs ending in re are irregular and many verbs that end in ir are irregular. Note the way these regular verbs are conjugated. er verbs like étudier ir verbs like obéir re verbs like descendre To form the present tense, drop the er and add the ending that corresponds to the subject. To form the present tense, drop the ir and add the ending that corresponds to the subject. To form the present tense, drop the re and add the ending that corresponds to the subject. e es e ons ez ent Irregular Verbs j'étudie tu étudies il/elle/on étudie nous étudions vous étudiez ils/elles étudient is is it issons issez issent j'obéis tu obéis il/elle/on obéit nous obéissons vous obéissez ils/elles obéissent s s (no ending) ons ez ent je descends tu descends il/elle/on descend nous descendons vous descendez ils/elles descendent The following verbs in the paragraph are irregular. Locate them and write their conjugated form in the space provided, like the example. Dormir Aller Apprendre Faire Lire Comprendre Connaître Vouloir on les enfants certaines personnes le gouvernement les adultes vous vous les commerçants dort 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Page 3 of 8 Many verbs are irregular because they do not follow the pattern of regular verbs in the present tense even though they end in er, ir, or re. Here is a list of common irregular verbs that you must know how to conjugate. It is easier to learn them in groups. The first group contains four of the most common verbs in French and you probably already know them. Make sure you know the meaning of all of these verbs. If you do not know the complete conjugation of these irregular verbs in the present tense, look them up in your verb conjugation book or in the verb conjugation section of one of your old textbooks. avoir être aller faire dormir partir sortir (mentir, sentir, servir) devoir pouvoir vouloir dire écrire lire mettre (permettre, promettre) prendre (comprendre, apprendre) conduire connaître envoyer recevoir voir rire (sourire) mourir venir tenir ouvrir (couvrir, offrir, souffrir) (These verbs are conjugated like regular er verbs) 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Page 4 of 8 Regular Verbs that Change Spelling Lastly, there are several er verbs that are regular in every way except for some changes in spelling. 1. Verbs ending in ger, like manger, are spelled mangeons in the nous form. 2. Verbs ending in cer, like commencer, are spelled commençons in the nous form. 3. Verbs ending in eter, like acheter (to buy), are spelled as shown below. Other verbs ending in eter, like jeter (to throw), are spelled as shown below. Note the changes occur in all the conjugations except the nous and vous forms. Acheter note the è. j'achète tu achètes il/elle/on achète nous achetons vous achetez ils/elles achètent Jeter note the tt. je jette tu jettes il/elle/on jette nous jetons vous jetez ils/elles jettent 4. Verbs ending in eler, like appeler (to call), are spelled like jeter there are two "l"s in the je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles forms. For example: j'appelle, but vous appelez. 5. Verbs ending like espérer (to hope), and lever (to lift or to raise) are conjugated as shown below. Espérer note the change from é to è. j'espère tu espères il/elle/on espère nous espérons vous espérez ils/elles espèrent Lever note the è, like with the verb acheter. je lève tu lève il/elle/on lève nous levons vous levez ils/elles lèvent 6. Finally, verbs that end in yer, like nettoyer (to clean), and in ayer, like payer, are conjugated as shown below. Again, the spelling change does not take place in the nous and vous forms. Nettoyer je nettoie tu nettoies il/elle/on nettoie nous nettoyons vous nettoyez ils/elles nettoient Payer (This change is not mandatory for verbs ending in ayer, so you will see it both ways.) je paie je paye tu paies tu payes il/elle/on paie il/elle/on paye nous payons nous payons vous payez vous payez ils/elles payent ils/elles payent 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Page 5 of 8 Quick Check (Vérification rapide) Before you go to the practice questions, do this Quick Check to see if you have understood the conjugations you have seen up to this point. Complete the table with the missing conjugations. The correct answers are on the Answer Sheet. Il va Tu J' Vous allez Nous préférons Vous essuyez (essuyer, to wipe) Tu ris (rire, to laugh) Elle ment (mentir, to lie) Je veux Elles Ils Elles Elle exagère Nous Tu Nous pouvons On Ils envoient On dit Vous Je Vous souffrez Je connais Ils Elle change Nous Il Elles conduisent (conduire, to drive) Je commence Nous On Vous lisez On oublie (oublier, to forget) Vous Tu Nous partons Je choisis Ils J'apprends Ils 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Page 6 of 8 Practice Questions A. Une histoire triste Complete this paragraph with the present tense of one of the verbs below. Make sure the paragraph makes sense when you put in the verbs. Use each verb only once. Conduire Connaître Devoir Dire Écrire Envoyer Essuyer Faire Mentir Mettre Mourir Souffrir Tenir Vouloir Bonjour Paul, J'(1) cet email pour vous raconter une histoire triste. Cette histoire est tellement triste que j'(2) déjà une larme de ma joue. Vous me (3) toujours la vérité ; et moi, je ne (4) pas, non plus! Vous (5) mon amie Christine, n'est-ce pas? Cet après-midi (c'est aujourd'hui samedi) elle me (6) dans sa BMW chez une autre amie, Nicole, qui est très malade. Elle (7) d'une rare maladie. (Le médecin m'a dit qu'elle (8) lentement.) Chaque mercredi elle m'(9) un email pour avoir de mes nouvelles. Cet après-midi ses sœurs (10) me parler. Le samedi, je vais chez elle. Je (11) des fleurs sur sa table de nuit et je lui (12) la main et nous parlons. Elle est vraiment gentille. Mais, à vrai dire, c'est elle qui (13) du bien pour moi! Alors, je vous invite à m'accompagner la semaine prochaine. Vous (14) faire sa connaissance. À bientôt, Maire Dumont 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Page 7 of 8 B. Maintenant à vous Use the verbs that follow to write a letter of your own. Here are a few subjects you might want to consider. But you can write about anything you want. Make sure your verbs are in the present tense, so don't write about the past or the future. Write about something you usually do or something you are doing today. Be creative! Sujets possibles : mon week-end, mes amis Verbes : acheter lire dormir partir espérer pouvoir recevoir rire voir Bonjour, Bien à vous, 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Page 8 of 8 Oral Exercises (Exercices oraux) C. La phonétique The linking of words in speech is called "liaison". In particular, when the second word begins with a vowel or vowel sound (like êtes or hôtels) and the word that comes before it ends with the letter "s" (like vous or les), then the two words are often linked with no noticeable break between the two words. When this happens the "s" is pronounced as a "z" (as in vous êtes or les hôtels). You always make a liaison when the first word is one of the plural subject pronouns nous, vous, ils, or elles and the second word is a vowel, as in nous aimons. You will hear verbs conjugated in the present tense with singular subjects. Your task is to change the verbs from singular to plural subjects and pronounce the new conjugation aloud. See the model below and then start the audio. Modèles : elle / nous il / vous Il espère visiter Québec. (Singulier pas de liaison) Nous espérons visiter Québec. (Pluriel liaison) Nous ouvrons la porte. (Pluriel liaison) Il ouvre la porte. (Singulier pas de liaison) 1. il / nous.... 2. je / elles.... 3. tu / vous.... 4. elle / ils.... 5. on / elles.... Stop the audio. D. Le pluriel des verbes All of the verbs in the sentences you will hear are conjugated in the present tense and have singular subjects. Change the plural subjects to a singular subject and make the appropriate change in the way you pronounce the new verb conjugation. Je changes to Nous Tu changes to Vous Il changes to Ils Elle changes to Elles Modèle : Je dors bien. Nous dormons bien. 1..... 5..... 2..... 6..... 3..... 7..... 4..... 8..... Stop the audio. 2006 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.